1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a folding chair with ottoman, and more particularly relates to a chair and ottoman capable of folding into a compact cube for storing and transport.
2. Description of Related Art
The broad concept of a chair which can be folded into a compact shape for storage and transport is known, being disclosed by Luttio, U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,846, Ashworth, U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,695, Larsen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,882, Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,720, Lyons, U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,023, and Monteforte et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,759. Luttio and Ashworth show a chair folding into a cube, and while Wilson does not mention a cube shape, his chair could be so designed. Larsen, Lyons, and Monteforte et al. teach the use of fabric hinges.
Luttio and Ashworth, supra, disclose chairs having wooden frames with sharp edges and corners and exposed metal hinges, all of which are dangerous to the safety of children and other people for whom their chairs are designed. Luttio's chair folds into an ottoman for use with another chair, but it lacks an ottoman for supporting the feet of the user of the disclosed chair. Also, the contours of Luttio's chair are defined by wooden slats, are lumpy, particularly in the seating area, which renders the chair somewhat uncomfortable. Ashworth's chair, when unfolded, has a low flat seat and an inclined flat back rest meeting at a sharp, concave corner, providing for uncomfortable seating.
The many embodiments of chairs disclosed by Wilson share the common attribute of a deep trough in the upper surface of a large, resiliently deformable, foamed cushion. A bolster, unconnected to the cushion, is shaped complementary to the trough to fit therein to complete the rectangular shape of the cushion when both are assembled for storage. A chair with a limited, unconnected back is disclosed, but there is no leg or footrest provided.
The chairs of Larsen, Lyons, and Monteforte et al., supra, are complex structures composed of many parts, e.g., 9 for Lyons, which are relatively expensive to manufacture and complicated to fold and store. Although they are suitable for their intended purposes, namely, to provide low lying supports primarily for lounging on floors to watch television, they are too low for normal seating comfort.